The present invention relates to an improvement in a person lowering and raising winch assembly.
A winch assembly for the displacement of a person between a first vertical position and a second vertical is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,085,368, the entire contents of which is incorporated herewith by reference. As shown in this U.S. patent a winch assembly may comprises:
a winch for displacing a person in a harness between first and second vertical positions;
a first winch attachment means for releasably engaging said harness, said first winch attachment means being attached to said winch for the displacement of a person between said first and second vertical positions; and
a second winch attachment means for releasably attaching the winch to an overhead support.
In the winch assembly described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,085,368, a first attachment means is illustrated by the support element arms represented, in FIG. 14, by the elements (150) and (152) and in FIG. 16 by the elements (160) and (162). These elements are rigidly attached to the support structure of the body of the winch (140) in a permanent (i.e. rigid) configuration; these elements extend outwardly from the body of the winch. Such a structure gives rise to a number of drawbacks. The attachment means, for example, may injure people during non-working periods and/or during moving of the assembly from one place (i.e room) to one another. Additionally, the attachment means gives the winch a relative bulky aspect which renders storage and transportation difficult.
There is therefore a continuing need for a new winch assembly for the displacing of a person between a first and a second vertical position and which may have reduced or more compact aspect during non-working periods as well as in the case of a moving of the winch assembly during non-working periods.
Accordingly the present invention provides a winch assembly for the displacement of a person between a first vertical position and a second vertical position comprising:
a winch for displacing a person in a harness between said first and second vertical positions;
a first winch attachment means for releasably engaging said harness, said first winch attachment means being attached to said winch for the displacement of a person between said first and second vertical positions; and
a second winch attachment means for releasably attaching the winch to an overhead support,
characterized in that the first attachment means comprises two opposed support arms and displacement means associated with each said support arm whereby at least part of each arm is displaceable between a working extended position for engaging said harness and a non-working retracted position.
The displacement means can take any necessary form provided it may perform its purpose. It may for example be a telescopic means or a pivotally articulated means.
The first attachment means may for example be one of which is at least partially displaceable and which allows a quick engagement and disengagement of the harness and a stable retention of the harness during transportation of a person. Such attachment means which may be telescopically extendable support arms or pivotally articulated support arms.
In accordance with the present invention, the attachment means may, for example, comprise two opposed support arms which in working position extend outwardly from the body of the winch and substantially symmetrically on a same horizontal line.
The present invention also relates to a person lowering and raising assembly comprising a support structure and a winch assembly according to the first aspect of the invention.